answersLogoWhite

0

What is the velocity of light in water?

Updated: 8/10/2023
User Avatar

Wiki User

15y ago

Best Answer

225056264 m/s

User Avatar

Abigail Sipes

Lvl 10
2y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar
More answers
User Avatar

Wiki User

11y ago

Water is a refractive substance (as is air) which means that as light enters it, it slows down. This means that the speed of light in water (or any other refractive substance) is less than the speed of light in a vacuum.

N.B. When people refer to the speed of light being 2.998 x 10^8 meters per second, the are in fact referring to the speed of light in a vacuum.

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

15y ago

The speed of light in water depends on the temperature. Near the boiling point it is 227 million meters per second (508 million miles per hour), and near the freezing point it is 224 million meters per second (501 million miles per hour). Compare this to the speed of light in a vacuum, which is nearly 300 million meters per second (670 million miles per hour). You can see that the speed of light in water is roughly 25% slower than in a vacuum. The speed of light in air is only 0.03% slower than in a vacuum.

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago

I cannot give and exact calculation, but I can explain it with matter.

Light travels best through no medium (matter), such as in outer space. In air, light slows down a bit, but still remains at a high speed. In water, light slows down to about half speed. As you get deeper into the water, the light slows down even further until it stops. With solid matter, there are three different characteristics to note. There is opaque solid, which lets no light in (e.g. rock). There is transparent solid, which lets all light through (e.g. glass). And there is translucent solid, which lets some light through (e.g. stained glass). Metal reflects light.

* * * * *

A lot of background but no answer to the question! Also, glass lets NEARLY all the light through, but it does absorb some.

The speed of light in water is approx 225,000,000 m/s

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

14y ago

This depends on the optical density/refractive index of the liquid. For example the speeds of light in water and oil are very different.

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

14y ago

The speed of light is always the same: 300,000 kilometers per second.

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

13y ago

the velocity of light in water is 3into ten to the power 6.9meters per second

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

14y ago

225056264 m/s

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

15y ago

1.333 m/s

This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: What is the velocity of light in water?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Related questions

Does the air have the larges velocity of light?

The velocity of light is highest in a vaccum; slightly slower in air, and a LOT slower in water.


Is velocity of light constant?

Yes according to most theories the velocity of light in a vacuum is constant. (In water and glass it is slower!)


Is the velocity of light higher in water or in air?

It's greater in air than in water.


What is the velocity change when the ray of light passes from air to glass?

When a photon goes say from air to water, it slows down according to; n=c/v where n is refractive index of water c is velocity of light in air v is velocity of light in water It is stated that the frequency of the photon doesn't change when the photon enters the water. Only the wavelength changes.


How does refraction occur in water?

It is because of the change in velocity of light in two different media.


What happens to the velocity and wavelength of light when it passes from air into water?

The speed of the light decreases, and its wavelength increases by the same factor.


What is the velocity of light in meters?

the velocity of light is 300000000 m/s


What happens when light passes through something?

The velocity of light is greatest when travelling through a vacuum. When travelling through something else, a glass material say, then its velocity is slower. The refractive index is the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in that substance. For example light travels in a vacuum about 1.3 times as fast as in water, so we say water has a refractive index of 1.3. And it is likely that the velocity in the glass will be different at different wavelengths of light.


What is the average velocity of light?

There is no average velocity of light. Within a given medium, the velocity of light is fixed and absolute. In a vacuum, it is approximately 3.0 x 108 m/s, or 186,000 miles per second. It would be somewhat slower through denser media like water and glass.


Does Light have a speed or a velocity speed of light or velocity of light?

Light travels at the speed of light. There is no general velocity of light because velocity is a vector quantity, it also contains a direction and there is no preferred direction for light rays in general. Another answer: The speed of light has been calculated to be 186,000 miles per second.


What would be the velocity of ball which is thrown by the man who running at the speed equal to the velocity of light?

As velocity never exceeds the velocity of light.... so i hope a man running with the velocity of light will not be able to throw a ball with any velocity.......... we may get the maximum n minimum velocity with which that can be thrown mathematically that we may get it to be zero................


What is refractive index?

The refractive index or index of refraction of a substance is a measure of the speed of light in that substance. It is expressed as a ratio of the speed of light in vacuum relative to that in the considered medium.A simple, mathematical description of refractive index is as follows:n = velocity of light in a vacuum / velocity of light in mediumHence, the refractive index of water is 1.33, meaning that light travels 1.33 times as fast in a vacuum as it does in water.